Stuffed Peppers with help from the Instant Pot

One dish we have made alot during the "stay at home" is stuffed peppers.   They are simple to make and you can put anything you want in them which makes it great if you have leftover veggies or sauces.  I am putting these together now so that we can bake them for dinner later.   Main ingredients were three bell peppers, sliced length wise and cored, one pound ground beef, one cup of rice cooked (using the Instant Pot), some leftover marina sauce I had made, smoked paprika and pepper flakes.  For a quick marina, use a can of your favorite crushed tomatoes. I like Tuttorosso  I added salt, Italian seasoning and pepper flakes and put in the "chili" setting of the Instant Pot.  That is 40 minutes on my machine.  Tasted like an all day "gravy".

Season the beef with kosher salt and brown until there is no pink left.  Add smoked paprika and pepper flakes to taste.  Cook for about a minute to wake up those spices.  Then add your rice and cook until well combined with the beef.   You are then ready for your liquid, in this case marina sauce.  You can also use chopped tomatoes , Rotel or your favorite jarrred sauce.  Do your final seasoning .  I added my favorite condiment Tabasco Chipotle sauce .  Then you are ready to stuff.  You will want them to be heaping since there will be a little shrinkage when they cook.  Once stuffed, I like to top with cheese. Bake covered with foil in a 350 degree oven for 50 minutes.  Then uncover and turn on your broiler and cook for another 5-10 minutes.  Keep a constant eye to prevent burning.  This will brown the cheese and also crisp up the stuffing!!

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Other options:

Add shredded cheese to the mix before your final seasoning.  I used quinoa in an earlier batch and loved how they came out.  Where rice can get mushy, the quinoa really holds up.  If you use that, you will need to  have some cheese to use as a binder. 

#StuffedPeppers #InsrantPot #FoodBlog

QUICK BITE:. Rye Farmhouse Ale

The third in my series of large bottle format beers.  This is a farmhouse ale called Rustic Sunday from Birds Fly South, a brewery in Greenville South Carolina.    Farmhouse Ale is not really a style of beer so they vary alot from state to state and country to country.  The origination of the term comes from Europe where farmers would brew their own beer using whatever grains they had that summer.  The taste would generally be described as "funky" or "earthy*.  In Belgium you will see a saison style (high carbonation, lower alcohol with fruits and spice) which is often considered to be a farmhouse ale but they also have biere de garde which is a high alcohol pale ale and also a farmhouse ale. 

Rustic Sunday had the deep yellow color of a lager with high level of carbonation.  It had a faint essence of banana, reminiscent of a hefeweisen.  It poured cleanly without any lingering yeast.

The taste was earthy with a bit of ripe bananas. Where I was expecting a bit of bite from the Hallertau Blanc hops, there was none.  It was a little boring on the pallette. Even as it warmed up to room temperature, I didn't get any additional redeeming notes on my pallette. 

Stay tuned for more of the series. 

#FarmhouseAle #Beer #FoodBlog #BirdsFlySouth

QUICK BITE: German Beer Day: Gewurzgose

In honor of German Beer Day, here is the second in my series of large format bottles beers.  This one is Gewurzgose which is a style of gose from Leipzig Germany.  Gose's uniqueness is that it is usually brewed with salt so that the taste can be in the saltier side.  Combined with the lactobacillus bacteria, it can produce a wonderful sourness.  Gose are also flavored with coriander, orange peel and other aromatics.  This one has those plus vanilla and nutmeg.  I was hoping it would not have too much "Yankee Christmas Candle" taste - and was very pleasantly surprised. 

It pours very cleanly since there is no additional fermentation in the bottle with this gose. The color is a straw gold.  Barely any head and only slight carbonation.  Faint aroma of orange and vanilla in the nose.  First taste and there is a bit of salt on the tongue with a pleasant orange peel note at the finish.  As it warms up, I taste a bit more of the vanilla and some caramel. 

#GermanBeerDay #Beer #FoodBlog #Gose

QUICK BITE: Fermented Ale Tasting: Panil Divina

The first in my series of tasting several large format bottles of sour and farmhouse style ales.  These are all beers that have some level of fermentation.   First up is Panil Divina which is a lambic style of beer.  Lambics are fermented using wild yeast - and based on the bottle it is yeast from under a full moon. 

It is very frothy on the pour, accounting for all the yeast.  It is a bit cloudy for the same reason.  You have to be careful pouring since you don't want that yeast in your glass.  Yeast is great in bread dough but not the best tasting experience on its own. 

The taste is dry, almost like a dry Sauvignon Blanc with some notes of stone fruit, especially peach.  Different tastes immerge as the ale warms up. I am detecting blackberries and strawberries.  

QUICK BITE: Coffee From Thailand

The third coffee in our series.   This one is from Thailand.  The beans are about the same size as my "control" bean from Eight O'Clock.  They are still lighter than I would have expected for a coffee labelled as medium roast. Bean size is the the same as the control whereas the beans from China and Ethiopia were much smaller.  Guessing that is because Thailand has lots more rain than either. 

It brewed to a medium color which I expected based on the color of the beans.  The flavor is surprisingly much richer than the prior coffee.  It also has a bitter note after the first sip which is more balanced as you drink more.  Using a furniture analogy, it is that armchair that you first don't like because it is too stiff and unsettling, but then appreciate after awhile since it gives you a lot of support.  

QUICK BITE: Pop Tarts Revisited

It took a pandemic for me to have my first Pop Tart in about 15 years.  I cut it in a diagonal to be fancy!!  While I think they used to have more filling, what was there did taste like a decent strawberry preserve.  And the pastry was flaky with a pleasant crispness on the edges.  The frosting (really a glaze) was just sweet.  I remembered that having more flavor - and color -in the past.  And definitely needed more jimmies (or sprinkles as anyone outside of Massachusetts would call them).   

Anyone else have Pop Tarts on your "essential" shopping list?  What is your favorite flavor?   Peabody's is the local bar/restaurant we have been using for grocery restock and they were selling them.  So why not try one?

#PopTarts #FoodBlog

QUICK BITE: Coffee from China

Trying the next new coffee.  This is from China.  When I travelled to China there never was a decent cup of coffee unless you went to Starbucks.  Never knew that China even grew coffee. And here we are. These beans were a bit darker than the Ethiopian and about the same size.  

 The aroma was less earthy and had some mild chocolate notes.   It still brewed to a lighter color than I was expecting.   However the taste was more robust than Ethiopian and didn't have a bitter finish.  Much smoother.  Using my furnishing analogy, this coffee is like a hassock you would put in front of your sofa.  It is impossible to miss and just brings you comfort. 

#Coffee #FoodBlog

QUICK BITE: Scrambled Eggs

am sure everyone has their preferred method for preparing scrambled eggs.  Mine is to cook slowly over medium low heat.  I lightly mix the eggs with some salt.  Make sure to add the salt before you have beaten them. The salt will help break down the yolks.    I usually don't use pepper at this point since I think it can overpower the delicate flavor.  You can always add a fresh ground pepper once they are done.  Salt brings out the egginess. 

A non stick pan works great for eggs.  But I still I add a tablespoon of butter which adds another layer of flavor in addition to helping keep the eggs from sticking.  

The cooking technique I use is a constant fold. Pretend that are you folding whipped egg whites into a batter.  You don't want to mix too hard, otherwise you will deflate the cake batter.  Similar reason here   You want to keep the air you incorporated into the eggs and add more during cooking.  As they start to cook you will see some small curds form around the pan.  Using a rubber spatula you want to turn those curds upside down.   The key is not to let any part of the eggs cook too long on the bottom of the pan.  Dry, scorched eggs are tasteless.  Probably nothing worse to eat except burned garlic.  

Keep folding until the eggs just start to come together.  When you see they are staying together in the middle of the pan and are slightly glossy, it is time to take them out.  There will be some carry over cooking that will cook the eggs more during plating.  If you cook them to your preferred doneness level in the pan they will be drier after plating.  Your efforts will be rewarded with very fluffy, almost custardy eggs that will melt in your mouth.  I will always take well cooked scrambled eggs over an omelette any day of the week.

#ScrambledEggs #FoodBlog

QUICK BITE: Ethiopian Coffee

Trying the first of the new coffee beans today.  I immediately noted how light it was compared to the Eight O'Clock that was in there before.  The beans are also alot smaller which I am guessing is because the coffee grows with less water in that climate and the plant has to conserve it's energy.   It is labelled as a light roast and when brewed that also was apparent.

The aroma smells a bit of wood and earth which definitely comes out in the brew. Slight bitterness in the finish.   I generally like a good medium or dark roast - coffee that makes it's presence known.  Like a large comfortable sofa.   This coffee is like an accent piece in your living room.  It is there, but you might not notice it unless you search for it.

#Coffee #GrindYourOwn #FoodBlog

QUICK BITE: Grilled Cheeae

Grilled cheese tip: While browning the sandwich in butter does make a good sandwich, try spreading your favorite mayonnaises on both sides of the bread before you put in the pan.  Since mayo has both oil and egg, you will get a sandwich that is closer to. Monte Cristo.  A little buttery and eggy without sacrificing the crispness you are looking for.    Plus the mayo is alot easier to spread than cold butter. Your bread won't fall apart. 

#GrilledCheese #FoodBlog

What"s For Dinner?

Time to get creative with ingredients onhand  during this stay at home   Any guesses what this dish will be?

QUICK BITE: Cauliflower on a Flatbread?

Today's lunch: Chicken and cauliflower flatbread with swiss cheese.  A drizzle of Frank's Red Hot Buffalo sauce for some punch!